Tiger Hunter
by Queen Eli
Summary: After living a quiet and subdued existence for most of their lives, the graduates of Hope's Peak Academy, former test subjects for an experiment to create chimera, have banded together to hunt down and kill those responsible for their suffering.
1. Lamplight

He waits for him under the pale, flickering lights of the old street light at midnight. Their routine has been solidified since they were young. It's quiet now, as it always is, and if anything, Kiyotaka Ishimaru is grateful for that at least. His solid, striped tail twitches, patchy white and black ears swiveling. He looks as poised and graceful as his ancestors, a black-and-white tiger waiting under the yellow light.

The roar of a motorcycle engine alerts Kiyotaka to another's presence, and he becomes alert as the huge black beast screeches to a halt beside him under the street lamp. There he is, Mondo Oowada, that stupid shit-eating grin that Kiyotaka has become so familiar with on his face. Kiyotaka's ears twitch and his eyes narrow, but he turns to look at Mondo anyway. His sense of timing is impeccable.

Mondo extends his hand, and the beast takes it, his body changing quickly from tiger to human. Kiyotaka straddles the back of the motorcycle, taking the helmet from Mondo and clipping it securely over his head (that's one thing that hasn't changed), resting his chin on Mondo's shoulder and wrapping his arms around his stomach.

"You're quiet today."

"Just drive."

The other gives a soft laugh, but he obeys, starting up the engine and sending shockwaves of adrenaline through both of their bodies. They have a hunt to get to, after all.

They were gone as quickly as they'd came, disappearing into the darkness of the city limits.


	2. Cigars

The cigar appears in the dreadlocks-haired man's hand as if it has always been there. In fact, Chihiro Fujisaki can't really remember her partner nothaving one in his mouth when he's not eating or sleeping. She watches as he lights it and takes a deep inhale, sits down on the bed in the grungy apartment that they share, looks out the dark window at the bright city lights.

"Ah, Chi-chi, it's great, isn't it?" Yasuhiro Hagakure says happily, and Chihiro sits down beside him, gently smoothing out the wrinkles in her dark brown umbrella skirt, tugging at her suspenders.

"Well, y-yes, I suppose. T-though, shouldn't w-we be looking for M-Mondo and I-Ishimaru? I b-believe we were supposed to s-see them, tonight..."

"Don't ya' remember, Chi-chi? They're gonna come by later, we don't have to go look." Hagakure flops back on the bed, holding the cigar carefully between his teeth. He exhales, a cloud of smoke leaving his nose and mouth. "Sides, gives us more time ta' cuddle, right?"

"Haga—!" Chihiro starts to say, before the man's tanned arms wrap around her waist and pull her close to him. She doesn't struggle, just lays her head against Hagakure's chest and smiles a bit. She's glad for these moments. They remind her that she's free, that they're free. "W-well, I...I suppose we can...f-for just a bit!"

"I like the sound of that," Hagakure laughs, then coughs a bit as some smoke goes down the wrong way. Giggling, Chihiro lays her head against Hagakure's chest, able to forget for just a moment that they were bloodthirsty chimera looking for people to kill.


	3. Lawless

No one could deny that Sayaka Maizono had a gift. She was obsessed with "taming the untamable". Over the years, she'd trained horses, cats, dogs, bears. Wild, lawless creatures with no sense of right or wrong.

But her biggest love will always be for the one person she could never tame.

He is not hers, and she is not his. The agreement is strained and conditional, and yet. The two of them wouldn't have it any other way. Leon Kuwata protected her, and Sayaka offered him shelter and food. They kept each others' secrets. And that was the way it needed to be.

Sometimes, when he was feeling particularly good, he'd splay across Sayaka's lap and purr like a tractor. Sayaka would rub his back, scratch the back of his neck and behind his ears. And then he'd roll over like a tame pussy cat, and let her rub his belly. And yet.

It was nothing more than an agreement, they said. Just a temporary agreement until they could find the ones who made their lives hell.

It was just another lie they told themselves (because even a five year old could tell that they were in too deep with each other).


End file.
